Latch



(-Model.)

M. R. .HUBBELL.

LATCH.

No. 482,794. Patented Sept.20, 1892.

X I l WITNESSES. WJ N R UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MYRON R. I-IUBBELL, OF WOLCOTT, VERMONT.

LATCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 482,794, datedSeptember 20, 1892.

Applicatioufiled October 26, 1891- gerial No. 409,765. (ModeL) To allwhom it may concern.

Be it known that I, MYRON R. HUBBELL, of Wolcott, in the county ofLamoille and State of Vermont, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Latches, of which the following is a specification.

This latch is intended principally, but not necessarily exclusively, forself-closing doors; and it consists in the novel construction andarrangement of parts below described, and illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, whereby thelatch affords the slightest possibleresistance to the closing of the door and securely holds it when closed.

In the drawings, in which similar letters of reference indicate likeparts, Figure l is a front elevation of my improved latch with thecovering-plate removed. The knob-spindle is shown in section and thewhole is represented as in position on a door. Fig. 2 is a section online 00, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an end elevation looking toward the edge ofthe door.

In Figs. 1 and 2 the latch is represented as closed or locked, and inFig. 3 it is raised or unlocked.

A represents the door, and B the jamb. The jarnb has securedhorizontally to its surface a toothed bar or rack O, projecting farenough therefrom to engage the latch and having its teeth on its uppersurface.

D is a thick plate or case chambered out at D to receive the operatingportions of the latch and set into the door in the ordinary manner. Thisplate in practiceis covered by a plate D", Figs. 2 and 3, to protect theparts.

E is the tumbler, pivoted at a to the case and provided at its free endwith an integral or rigidly-secured horizontal bar E, which is situatedabout flush with the outer edge of the plate D. This bar is heldnormallydown, as shown in Fig. 1, on thelower side of the mouth orentrance to the chamber or recess D by means of a spring I), whichencircles the pin (1, extending from the upper side of the tumbler.Moreover, the under surface of the tumbler is chambered out at E to accommodate a sleeve F, which is squared to receive the spindle H, onwhich the knobs I are placed. This sleeve has integral wings F, whichextend horizontally from it and lie under the tumbler, as shown inFig, 1. Se cured to the front edge of the plate D and substantiallyflush with the edge of the door is a cross-plate K, grooved on its underside to receive the pivotally-suspended pawls L. These pawls, Which mayvary in number as desired, are provided near their lower ends withshoulders L, which rest on the horizontal bar E, while their lower endsare pointed and lie normally in the notches on the upper surface of therack or notched bar 0. The pawls are of such a length that they cannothang quite vertically, but are held at a slight angle by the rack, theangle being toward the direction in which the door swings open.

The operation is as follows: The normal position of the device is thatrepresented in Figs. 1 and 2, in which the latch is closed, the pawls Llying locked in the rack-bar C. To open the door, the knob is turned asusual and the spindle F, rotating, swings up one or the other of theintegral wings F, thus lifting the tumbler E, which, lifting the bar Eat its end, lifts the shoulders L, thus swinging up the pawls L, and thewhole assumes the position shown in Fig. 3 and broken lines, Fig. 1. henthe knob is released, the former position is instantly resumed, and whenthe door swings into a closed position the only resistance Which thelatch affords is that made by the freely-swinging pawls L in slippingover the teeth of the rack-bar 0. As will readily be seen, thisresistance is exceedingly slight and almost too little to be calculated.

A plate N is usually secured to the edge of the latch directly under theplate K, as shown.

The device applies equally well to doors with rectangular and bevelededges.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a latch, the combination of a rack or toothed bar secured to thejamb or door-frame, pawls pivotally suspended from the door and adaptedto drop into and be engaged by said rack when the door is closed, andmechanism for raising the said pawls out of engagement with the rackwhen the door is to be opened, substantially as described.

2. In a latch, the combination of a rack or toothed bar secured to thejamb or door-frame, pawls pivotally suspended from the door and adaptedto drop into and be engaged by said rack when the door is closed, atumbler adapted to be lifted by means of the knobspindle, and mechanismintermediate with said tumbler and pawls, whereby the latter may belifted out of engagement witlrthe rack, substantially as set forth.

3. In alatch, the combination of a tumbler adapted to be raised by therotation of the knob-spindle, said tumbler being provided at its freeend with a cross-bar or end piece, as E, a toothed bar securedhorizontally to the door-jamb, and pawls pivotally secured to thestationary portion of the latch and hanging normally with the ends inengagement with said toothed bar and constructed to have their endsswung up directly by the said cross- MYRON R. HUBBELL.

Witne s MOSES J. LEACH, ABBIE G. STEVENS.

